Before students can declare the sociology major they need to complete TWO courses (six credits) of sociology, including SOC 1010 (Introductory Sociology).

- If you have already taken an equivalent of SOC 1010 in another institution (e.g. SOC 200 or SOC 201 in one of the Virginia Community Colleges), you will be exempt from taking SOC 1010 here in the Department. However in this case you will have to take an additional sociology course at any level at some later point in your major (you do not have to do it in your first semester here at UVA). Please see p. 5 of the Handbook for more detail on transfer of credits for SOC 1010.

- If you have not yet taken an equivalent of SOC 1010, this course should be your absolute priority in the Fall semester.

- Please be aware that even if you have transferred six or more credits of sociology from another institution, you still won’t be able to declare the major until you take at least one sociology course here at UVA. Our Handbook (p.7) specifies this regulation: “Please note that in the case of a transfer only three credits taken in another institution can serve as a prerequisite for declaring a major. Another three credit course should be taken in the department.”

This means that you will be able to declare your major only at the end of the Fall semester when your grades for the courses that you’ll be taking in the Department become available. Make sure that you will have had at least six sociology credits – taken here at UVA - by that time. Please note that you will have to fill out the deferral of the major form in the first week of the semester; you should see Prof. Makarova to do that.

2. What courses should I take in the Fall semester?

- Once again, you MUST take SOC 1010 if you have not received a transfer credit towards this requirement.

- Any course at the 1000- or 2000-level will be a very good choice for your first semester; these do not require any prior knowledge of sociology and provide a broad and comprehensive introduction to particular areas of the sociological discipline.

- You may also consider taking a course at the 3000-level. Some of these courses however do have prerequisites – you may need the instructor’s permission to enroll (do not hesitate to contact the instructor if you have any questions.)

- For those of you who have already had some experience with sociology, another good option is the required methods course, SOC 3120 (Sociology Research Workshop.)

3. Which of the transferred courses may count towards the major?

Please read p.5 of the Handbook on our general policy on the transfer of credits. You should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies during the Fall semester to discuss whether any of the courses that you’ve taken in other institutions can count towards the sociology major. This is not at all an urgent matter and you should not worry about it at this point.

4. Meeting with a member of the Undergraduate Studies Committee.

You should schedule a meeting with a member of the Undergraduate Studies Committee early in the Fall semester. Even though you will not be able to declare your major formally then, you will have a chance to discuss the courses that you need to take for the major, and to devise a concrete plan as to how to proceed. You will also be able to fill out the declaration form and do other necessary paperwork for declaring the major – though these forms will come into effect only after you complete your courses in the Fall semester.

5. Fall orientation.

If you have any questions or concerns while choosing your courses for the Fall semester you can meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Makarova, during her special office hours one week before the semester starts (Friday, August 22; time TBA – check with the Sociology office in August). She will also hold office hours on Tuesday, August 26, 4:00-6:00.

We in the department are very pleased that you have an interest in sociology and look forward to working with you.